Friday, June 27, 2008

Summertime means fun, sun and blockbuster superhero popcorn movies. This year we have Iron Man, the Hulk, Indiana Jones, Hancock, Batman lighting up the screens. Here at the Lounge – we are doing our part to keep you in the zone this summer. This one will take you back to the good old days of getting up early on Saturday mornings to sit in front of the t.v. for half the day. Lots of cool tracks, like the 60's version of the Astroboy theme; Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet (which are sort of like cousins to each other); Underdog; Batman: The Animated Series (one of the most amazing shows ever. Period.); The Green Hornet with it's great rendition of "Flight of the Bumblebee" played by trumpeter-extraordinaire Al Hirt; the original Spiderman cartoon theme (which everyone likes better than the new one); The Tick with it's crazy, jazzy, scat theme; Knight Rider, which is awesome and unforgettable; Max Headroom, the late, great, short lived show that deserved a much better fate; and Quantum Leap. There are many more, some good, some so-so, all interesting choices (Mortal Kombat is one of those 'interesting' choices, as they aren't really defenders of justice. Oh well.) A few of the cuts are “recreations”, like The Flash theme and they still stand up well. All in all – the perfect blast for the summer movie season. POWER UP!

To celebrate their new disc of reberb drenched spy-fi soundz – we bring you a blast from the past ----The Reverb Syndicate is a crack team of free thinking, strong willed (and even stronger chinned) individuals from Ottawa Canada who form a top secret intelligence agency sworn to uphold the freedom of martini swilling bachelor pads and good taste. They are four, sixties-styled men that can - nay, will - make a difference in our modern world. Each agent is a trained covert tactical specialist, armed with exceptional taste in music, bucket-loads of charisma and their own god-given talents. Our heroes will use the purest form of music to combat the evil plans of commercial radio and ensure that popular youth culture will never succumb to the mind withering conformity of Top 40. What music is still pure you ask? The reverb soaked, red-lined, key pounding all out assault of SPY-FI!Review:Operation: Jet Set! -- has got everything you could want in the latest Flint or Matt Helm flick... cool, surf-style instrumentals that would make Hank B Marvin and his fellow Shadows proud --Allan Wigney, The Ottawa SunMuch of the music here is very inviting from an arrangement and playing perspective, as well as lovely tone. The Reverb Syndicate have a number of very good songs here, and I found myself enjoying it more the more I listened. --Phil Dirt, Reverb Central ( http://www.reverbcentral.com/ )

Hello! Agent Vic20 from the Reverb Syndicate here. We just stumbled on this blog, and we would like to encourage you to download our album. We think it's pretty good, and we hope you enjoy it! If you don't like it, that's okay too. We understand. If you do enjoy it, and you're considering picking up a copy foryourself, it's only $9.97 on CDBaby. How cool is that? We promise that no proceeds will go to major labels, A&R guys, slickadvertising campaigns or $100,000 music videos directed by Spike Lee. We're a completely independent band with no music business ties whatsoever. All proceeds will go towards the recording and productionof our second album we'd like to make in the fall.Thanks for listening! Tell your friends! Keep in touch!

Sounds Orchestral – Meet James BondThis is not a soundtrack or the original pieces as heard in the James Bond movies, instead these are loungified bachelor pad martini instrumentals INSPIRED by the James Bond scores. You will recognize the familiar themes and motifs, just a little bit on laid back, whacked out side. Fun background and party music to relax and chill to.Review:Sounds Orchestral was, for a time, Pye Records' answer to EMI's Sounds Incorporated, although unlike their better known rivals, they were more of a studio ensemble and never got into the position of touring with the Beatles. The group was formed in early 1965 by Pye Records producer John Schroeder, who perceived an audience looking for a sound other than the driving Liverpool beat that had dominated the British airwaves and charts for almost two years. The original line-up included veteran pianist John Pearson, born in 1925 and a bit long-of-tooth to be competing in the rock 'n' roll world, and ex-Johnny Dankworth drummer Kenny Clare, along with 21-year old bassist Tony Reeves, later of Curved Air, Greenslade, and Colosseum, among other bands. Their rendition of "Black Is Black" was a popular dance record, and has turned up on several Northern Soul collections. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music

KOHALA’s music - instrumental arrangements for acoustic and classical guitars – a kind of laid back surfy island jazz, reflects the beauty of the Kohala region on the Big Island where the trio lives. Kohala fans are people of all ages who appreciate the beauty of acoustic instruments and great guitar playing. "Cool Breeze", Kohala's 6th CD, is an expression of many of the influences found in Hawaii - Hawaiian, Latin, Japanese, Pacific Rim, and jazz. For the first time Kohala has recorded some tracks with percussion. "...some of the most beautiful instrumental acoustic tunes I've heard in a few years...the music is fantastic!" Bill Binkelman, Wind and Wire, October 2006

Friday, June 13, 2008

As the title implies, Guitar Groove-a-Rama is a showcase for Duke Robillard and his guitar collection. It allows him to both flex his chops in a variety of styles and display his impressive set of instruments--on the cover and in the grooves. Although he has recorded jazz discs, the founding member of Roomful of Blues is primarily a blues player, and that genre grounds the majority of this crackling release. It's also a jumping-off place for songs that reference twang (a peppy version of Bob Dylan's "Down Along the Cove"), jazzy lounge/gospel ("Sunday Mornin'"), and tough swamp ("Sewed Up"), plus a "Tequila"-styled surf take on Sonny Boy Williamson's "No Way Out" and even a swinging instrumental rendition of "Danny Boy" with a surprise Beatlesque ending.The album's 16-minute centerpiece, "Blues-a-Rama," is a magnificent vehicle for Robillard. He uses a standard slow blues to introduce and play licks in the style of about a dozen influential guitarists, from the usual suspects such as Buddy Guy and Freddie, Albert, and B.B. King to the slightly more obscure likes of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. That track, like this terrific album, is a mini history lesson in blues guitar that every lover of the genre will enjoy and newcomers can use as a handy course. --Hal Horowitz

His rendition of the surf classic “Dark Eyes” is spectacular, more in the Spanish guitar influence – git it!!! –nuff said!

1. Do The Memphis Grind 2. Gambler Blues 3. Down Along The Cove4. Sunday Mornin' 5. Sewed Up 6. Danny Boy 7. Blues A Rama8. I'll Do Anything But Work 9. No Way Out 10. This Dream11. Just Before Dawn 12. Dawin 13. Cookin' 14. Dark Eyes

Formed in 1970, Guru Guru was a German prog rock outfit whose largely instrumental work set the group squarely within the boundaries of Krautrock. While guitarist Ax Genric, Uli Trepte, and keyboardist/drummer (and Cluster collaborator) Mani Neumeier remained the core of the band throughout its ten-year existence, a number of other musicians passed through the band's ranks, including Cluster co-founder Hans-Joachim Roedelius, who played keyboards on 1976's Mani und Seine Freunde, and keyboardist Ingo Bischof, who assumed increasing control of the group until its 1979 dissolution following the release of Hey Du, recorded under the name the Guru Guru Sun Band.

This is the bonus disc in this reunion package and is something to get excited about. It comes from a 1971 fan tape of the band in Frankfurt, and is one of the few boots of the band in it’s prime. There are three tracks on it, all of them long jam tunes -- "Bo Diddley," "Babycakewalk," and "Oxymoron." This is so far ahead of its time it is unbelievable. Each song flows with the wildness of an extended Hendrix solo, while retaining a sense of heaviness and sloppy rock’n’roll parts. Completely drug fueled free jazz musicians playin’ the blues. What is better than that? If there was one rock band Sun Ra should’ve gotten together with, it was these guys. Any fan of early Hawkwind, and even the Greatful Dead (in their trippier moments) should definitely check this out. The dynamics, spontaneity, and sheer craziness that this band was capable of in their true 1971 prime is pure excitement. The other 2 discs are basically reunion schlock and totally useless so I’m saving your ears and disc space by avoiding them.

There is some fine guitar playing on this sampler of Hightone Records roots acts, including the Telecaster brilliance of Redd Volkaert on "Breakneck," Dave Alvin blasting (pun intended) through an extended live version of his "Long White Cadillac," the ageless Dick Dale on "Esperanza," and the roots/punk drive of the Domino Kings on "Some Kind of Sign," featuring the twin Telecasters of Steve Newman and Richie Rebuth. Also worth noting here is Chris Smither’s shimmering and sparkling take on Robert Johnson’s "Dust My Broom." Fun stuff.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

An offbeat sampler, titled to take advantage of the lounge music thing. It has a lot of cool music that you won't find on typical Mancini compilations. A combo of alternative versions of old standards and obscurities, mostly in the latin vein, it's well-suited for cocktails and light conversation. Not necessarily the hits this shows more of Mancini's genius, and gives you a good sense of the depth of his work. With 20 cuts, the price is right, unless you have all those original LPs & want to make your own tape. Ha.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Going funky this time around. I can't help but think of Booker T & the MG's on steroids when listening to this disc. The musicians are solid players who've definately done their homework in recreating a late sixties feel to their songs. With an agile rhythm section, an acid guitar, and a Hammond organ that alternates between sounds full of sharpness and liquid atmospheres it is raw 60's drenched fuel to feed a world dominated by an otherwise anemic and bland soundscape. How Hammond organ funk is meant to be heard. Dig it!

American bands have never gotten in the habit of their British counterparts, who tend to release lots of extended singles filled out with not-meant-for-prime-time experimentations. If the Beasties had gotten into that habit, this would be their B-side compendium: a dozen instrumental tracks showing off their groovier side, complete with plenty of wahwah on the guitar and prominence given to frequent Beastie collaborators "Money" Mark Nishita (keyboards) and Eric Bobo (percussion). It's tough to believe that the same band is responsible for this and the Aglio e Olio EP, but it goes a long way in explaining how they've remained viable for so long. --Randy Silver

Part funk, part bluesy jazz, and part Beasties experimentation, it's all good. There's a track with some Tibetan monk chanting, some vaguely Zepplin tracks, and mostly funky hip-hop. It's got this "secret recording" feeling to it, because the album seemed to slip under the radar of many beastie fans. I was suprised at the musicianship of these guys, as its way better than anything they've done before or since. Check it. Fake out your friends at parties –they won’t believe it either.

Having long since shed their image as hip-hop's clown princes, the Beastie Boys now bring what feels like their emeritus recording, a celebratory instrumental memoir of all of the influences (except punk) that brought them to their secure place among hip-hop's fickle elite. The party opens with the aptly titled "B for My Name," its plodding bounce staking claim to the mid-tempo path the album treads almost throughout. "14th St. Break" picks up the pace, especially in the auxiliary percussion breakdown, complete with rally whistle. Then, beginning with "Suco de Tangerina," the album drops into a deep groove cut from dub- and dancehall-tinged ostinati that carry through a full third of its tracks. Among these, "The Gala Event" suffers from a lack of developmental motion that characterizes many of these tracks, but highlights still abound. "Off the Grid," for example, departs from the otherwise unbreakable chill and rips the proceedings wide open, blooming again and again in a series of pulsing riffs that celebrate the very institution of the instrumental groove. More than 20 years since Licensed to Ill took a long, irreverent piss into the mainstream, it seems you can still fight for your right to party. --Jason Kirk

1. B For My Name 2. 14th St. Break 3. Suco De Tangerina 4. The Gala Event 5. Electric Worm 6. Freaky Hijiki 7. Off The Grid 8. The Rat Cage 9. The Melee 10. Dramastically Different 11. The Cousin Of Death 12. The Kangaroo Rat

A rare find. I love finding the connections within the songs and seeing where the source material comes from. With the Beastie Boys moving into the jazzier side of town, I thought it would be cool to add the historical references to some of their stuff. Here are some of those familiar and yet semiunknown riffs that they used to create their work. Some nice stuff here in its unadulterated state. even if you are not a BBoy fan, you might like this. Enjoy.

Hey All Fat City Lounge Patrons:

Lounge Rules:No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. Just Kidding. Come as you are, you can even take your clothes off when you dance. (In the back room).For Real:1. Lively Discussion is encourgaged -- foul language and other types of impunation of character is not. Evil will be deleted.

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About Me

Fun stuff:
Am a musicholic - I'm 52 -- I heard my first Ventures song in '66 and have been a fan of twang ever since. Of course all the other guitar gods were added over the years, along with a lot of other great music. I have been a DJ in my younger years on air -- WPFW and in clubs and currently produce a local television show about the performing arts.